Amusement device



April 1961 L. s. HARRIS 2,978,248 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H F/g./ ,2 j

l E l6 Leon S. Harris 1N VEN TOR.

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April 4, 1961 s. HARRIS AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1958 Fig. 5

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Leon 5. Harris 1N VEN TOR. BY @011 nite 2,978,248; V'ALMUSEMENT DEVICE Leon" s. Harris, P.0. Box 10445, Raleigh, NC. Filed Aug. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 757,478 '1 Claim. (01. 27 3- 97 The-present invention generally relates to 'an. amusement device and more particularly and to that type of amusement device having a paddle or bat of a generally flat construction with a ball attached theretoby "virtue to strike the target with the ball.

Anobject ofthe present invention is to provide an amusement device in the form of a paddle-having a handle thereon together with an elastic band connected to: the paddle and having a rubber ball mounted on the outer end thereof with the paddle incorporating a-rub- :ber bulbof hollow construction attached thereto and forming-a target for the ball.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an amusement'device in accordance with the preceding object in which the hollow rubber bulb is communicated with a whistle mounted on the other side of the paddle whereby a-whistling sound will be produced by the Whistle when the ball strikes the bulb, thus providing a highly entertaining amusement device as well as providing one which more rapidly developsthe skills of therplayers or operators. q

-Another object of the present invention isto provide :an amusement device which is extremely-simple 5i I1"C0n-' struction, highly entertaining, easy ,to use,- capable:;of manyrpossible variations and relatively inexpensive :to manufacture. a

These together with'other objects andadVantageSFWhich 'willibecorne; subsequently apparent "reside in the=defails ;of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter "described and-claimed, reference'being'ha'd tothe ac- ;companying drawings forming apart hereof, wherein dike numerals referto like parts throughout, and in'5 which:

Figure 1 is 'alplan view ofthe amusement device of the presentrinvention asviewedfromthetarget and ball side;

Figure Zisagplan ,viewof thearnusemenfdevice as 60 viewed from thenear side or whistleside; v Figure 3 isa'vertical sectional viewt'aken substantially "ji'pon apl'ane passing-along section 1i-nef33 'of fFig'ure 1 'illustrating the detailsofconstructidn'of the paddle'and related target and whistle;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of Figure 2 illustrating further structural details of the bulb and whistle mechanism;

Figure 5 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of tates ate'titO 2,978,248 Patented Apr. 4, 1 961 2 Figiire 4j illhsti 'ating further structural details of the device;

t jFigure 6 is.'a erspective view of the whistle unit per 'se'whichis femoved'fr'om'the paddle illustrating the 10 'whistle anditfs' relationship to the paddle of Figure 7.

I j'Referrin news ecifiean to Figures'1-6 of the drawfing's, "mannammo fgenerally designates the amusement' device of the present invention which includes a generally flat paddle T12 having a circular area 14 and 15 alaterally ,exteiidinghandle 16 extending fromone side thereof in T tl iesame plane. The paddle may' beconstructed of any s uitable material such as wood or the like andisiprovided with a staple or'other fastening 'nier'nber 1:81 adjacentthe center ofthe circular 'a'rea14, the staple. 18 "securing an elongated elastic band 'or' rubbeiba'ndl oi member; 20 thereto. The elastic band or rn'emberf2 0'is eonnected to a rubber ball 22 at theouter flendfther'eof j Thus 'by 'frianually operating the paddle 12 in a manner 'w u known, the 'ball 22 may be engaged 25 withthe,fcircular"area 14 'ofthe paddle 12'forcausing sequential inward and outward movement of the rubber 'b'alland alternate stretching and relaxing of'the elastic band 20. t t

Disposed centrally in the circularareafld'of the' paddle 12.is an opening' 24, Overlying the "opening 24 and dispose'd on the 'sam'e side o'f'the paddle 12 as the fastening vstaple 18 isfaigerie'rally semi-spherical hollowrubber bulbfl26 which is 'provided with an -outwardly extending peripheral flange "-28,which engages the "surface ofthe lfp'addle" 12'ja nfd'is'bofided'thereto as by gluing or the dike. TheiflangeZS tapers to a'sharp marginaledgei for facilitating the gluing 'Of'the'rubber bulb 26 to the'surface of i'the'f'padd1e12' in such a manner that the only wayroriair to'j'passinto 'a'ndout'o'f the hollow-bulb 26 40 is 'throughfthe opening 24. The bulb 26jprov ides a -targetrorbullsieye ofless' area thanfthe" surface area. ofithe paddle. The area of the paddle disposedpe'riphe'rall'y ofthe BuIb f rmS a'striking areaffor thej ball. "Engagenient ofthe "rubber ball 22 with the bulb 26 causes fmofnentary collapse. of the 'bulb '26, 'thusc'ausing air" to be, expelled out war'dly therefrom through the opening 24. As sofon'as" the ballf22" bounces away, the'natural resiliency ofthefrubberbiilb 2 6 will cause the same to move to its"or igin al position thus drawing air back thro'ugh'fthebpehing24 into 'the'interior of thebulb 26. 'le'the rubber bulb has been shown with the flange '28gluedftdthefsurface of the circular arealfl, many ailterriatiVe'mthOds could' be provided for mounting the bulb 26 imposition. For instance, the area adjacent the aperture 24could be recessed so that the'flange would fit ,in'the recess thus providing a smooth surface for the paddle except for the semi-spherical portion of the bulb. v

Mounted in overlying relation to the opening 24 on "the'oppo'site side of the paddle 12 from the bulb'26 is "a generally semi-cylindrical member, 30 having a closed end 32 and anopenend 34, and a .transversepartition 36, the edge lithe, partition 36, closed endSZand the p 'urd to the surface of-thev paddleas 1 V p j fy dtlie'r suitable fas'tening'means. The

portion of the genfally"semi cylindrical" members!) between the closed end wall 32 and the partition 36 communicates with the opening 24, the inner edge of the partition 36 being generally in alignment with the edge of the opening 24 as shown in Figure 4.

The partition 36 is provided with a generally channel shaped tone block 38 provided with a reed or vibrator 40 disposed against the upper surface thereof, the tone block'38 having an upwardly curved and generally closed end portion 42 disposed adjacent the open end 34 of the semi-cylindrical-member 30. The generally .U-shaped ande'longated tone block 38 having theinwardlycuryed .end 42 togetherwith the vibratoror reed40 provide a whistle so that as air passes between the reed 40 and the curved end 42 inwardly'towards,theopening 24, the whistle will bev blown. When the ball initially contacts the bulb 26, air will be expelled from the bulb out through the whistle which will notcauseyibration of the reed.- However, when the ball moves away andthe the tone block and the free end ofthe reed .40. thus setting upyibrations in the reed 40 for, producing a whistle, such a bell unit incorporating aplunger movable in relation to a bell and the plunger being operable in response to an increase in pressure in the air bulb, such compression of air forcing the plunger against the bell to sound the same. Further, the whistle construction may be such that the device may produce a whistling sound either when air moves out of the bulb or when air moves into the bulb.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention whistling noise. Thus, each time therball strikes the bulb struck and depressed. This eliminates any possibility of the reed jamming in the event air in the bulb is compressed very rapidly or too suddenly when the 'bulb is struck by the ball. Inasmuch as it'ispossible that air ,will jam in the bulb if the air is not permitted to escape ,fast enough through the whistle unit, there may be pro-' vided an escapement valve in the form of a check valve or the like to allow the air to pass out quickly no matter how hard the bulb is depressed.

Referring now specifically to Figures ,7 and 8, the numeral 12' illustrates a paddle similar to the paddle 12 .in Figure 1, the opening 24', the bulb 26' and flange 28' being the same. In this form of the invention, the whistle includes a cylindrical-extension 44 having a circular plate 46 at one end thereof and an outwardly flared horn-like element 48 extending therefrom. The cylindrical extension 44 is telescopically received and .irictionally held in the opening 24 or may be rigidly secured therein in any manner. The innerend of the cylindrical member 44 as well as the plate 46 extends inwardly and forms a partition wall 50 having a tone block 52 and reed 54 overlying the same extending therethroughrwith theopen end of the toneblock 52 fiacing the bulb 26' and .the closed end thereof facing the free end of the flared member 48. -"The operation of the whistle defined by theitone block 52 and 54 is the same as in Figures 16 so that air movingoutwardly from the bulb 26' dueto compression thereof, when the ,ball strikes the bulb 26rwill not cause vibration of the reed 54 but the reed 54 will produce a whistling sound which is constructed of metal. ,The tone block may or may not be constructed of metal but is preferably of metal as is the reed or vibrator 40.

there will be an exhaust of air but duringthe subsequent 2o when air returns into the bulb 26'. All parts of the whistle may be constructed of plastic'exceptfor the reed to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

i In a tethered ball and paddle type amusement device, fthe combination of a paddle provided withan opening, asemi-spherical hollow'and resiliently compressible bulb mounted on one side of said paddle and having said "opening in communication with the interior thereof, said 'bulb covering only a minor portion of the surface area "of the paddle thereby defining a target on the paddle, the surface area of the paddle extending peripherally outwardly of the bulb and forming a striking area exjtending' completely around the periphery of the bulb, an outturned marginal flange provided on said bulb and securedto said paddle, an elongated resilient flexible tethering element secured at one end thereof to the paddle at a point adjacent to but spaced from the flange of said bulb, a resilient ball mounted on the other end of said 'tethering element and adapted to impact against the "striking area of the paddle'or said bulb to collapse the latter, and a whistle disposed at the relatively opposite side of'said paddle, -said whistle including an elongated tone block having an outer end communicating with the atmosphere and an inner end in communication with the interior of said bulb through said opening whereby air may be discharged from the interior of the bulb into the atmosphere when the bulb is collapsed by impact of said ball thereagainst, and a vibratory reed provided on the outer end of said tone block, whereby upon relaxation of said bulb ingress of air from the atmosphere through the tone block may sound the whistle, a whistle housing carried by said paddle and having 'said tone block and reed mounted therein, said housing including a partition wall, said tone block and reed extendingth'rough the partition wall, the partition wall form'ing the sole supporting means-for the tone block and reed andspacing the same from the inner surface of the housing, said whistle housing comprising a substantially semi-cylindrical body having its flat side secured to said paddle and having a closed end and an open end, said partition wall disposed intermediate the ends of said 1 body and separating the same into a closed end portion In each instance,.the whistle may be glued, nailed or otherwise fastened to the paddle and the elements of the whistle including the tone block and reed maybe embedded in the partition wall of the whistle thus assuring continuous and proper relationship between the reed and tone block for producing a whistling noise when the air bulb is engaged by a ball. a t

While the illustrations in the drawings have been restricted to whistle type of sound producing mechanism,

the present invention also incorporates the arrangement in which a bell type unit may be employed for the in communication with said opening and an open end portion in communication with the atmosphere, said partition wall'being provided with an aperture having said tone block and reed mounted therein, whereby the inner and outer end portions of the tone block are disposed respectively'in the closed end and the open end portions of said body.

References Cited in the tile of this patent v V UNITED STATES PATENTS V I 2,785,506 ,Ragazzo Mar. 19, 1951 2,s11,1ss

Jefferson Dec. 24, 1957 rmet, 

